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Central Anatolia is the one region in Turkey that does not touch water, so fish has to be trucked or flown in. Be prepared for a lot of meat served in various permutations, including kebabs and stews. In Cappadocia, popular specialties include lamb roasted in a tand?r, or underground pit, and meat cooked in a testi, a type of earthenware vessel. In Konya you'll see etli ekmek (flatbread topped with ground lamb and sometimes cheese) as well as local dishes, such as okra soup. Main courses in the region are often preceded by a delicious array of mezes—most notably warm hummus served with past?rma (Turkish pastrami), the local specialty.
In Cappadocia and Ankara, restaurants that cater to tourists serve beer, wine, and liquor, including rak?. In Konya and other conservative towns, however, alcohol can be quite difficult to find. The inhabitants of Cappadocia have been making wine for thousands of years, though the modern revival of the industry is still somewhat in its fledging stages. Of the local varietals, whites like the Emir tend to be better than reds, which include the Kalecik Karas?. Vintners are also producing increasingly successful wines with grapes from other regions of Turkey, as well as foreign ones like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Whatever you eat and drink, you'll likely dine in atmospheric surroundings—restored kervansarays (old-fashioned inns), caves, Ottoman mansions, and garden patios. In some traditional restaurants you'll sit on cushions on the floor, and your meal might be accompanied by live music.
Rather small and with a sophisticated design, Areni serves a variety of dishes, with simple and delicious twists, from Anatolia and beyond. Topik, a local favorite, is almost like a stuffed vegetarian meatball: a mixture of caramelized onions and spices inside a ball of chickpea paste. The friendly, knowledge staff are happy to recommend one of Areni’s impressive selection of local wines.
In the sleepy village of Mustafapaşa, about 5 km (3 miles) from Ürgüp, the charming Old Greek House serves delicious home-cooked specialties and decadent desserts. Portions are generous, and the set menus are a genuine feast. Seating is on floor cushions around low, round tables or at regular-height ones in the atmospheric, vine-covered central courtyard. The 250-year-old building—still with original frescoes on the stone walls and original paint on the wooden ceilings—doubles as a simple but comfortable inn.
The menu at this well-established Göreme restaurant is extensive and diverse, with typical mezes and grilled kebabs in addition to a range of well-prepared steak and lamb options, chicken with spinach or a saffron sauce, and even pastas. But the best deal is the four-course set menu, with several choices of appetizers, mains, and desserts that provide excellent food at an unbeatable value. The lanterns hanging from the traditional wooden ceilings and the carved stone walls decorated with copper trays create an ambience that's attractive and cozy.
Sitting just beneath Ankara Castle and with an incredible panorama of Ankara, this Turkish-style brasserie couples excellent food with first-rate service. An open kitchen gives way to an elegantly furnished dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the views continue on the restaurant’s large outdoor patio, where guests sit before white tablecloths and underneath oversized umbrellas. The menu offers a blend of Turkish and contemporary cuisine, with local specialty Ankara tava, slowly cooked lamb over a bed of bed of seasoned rice, alongside starters like shrimp casserole with porcini mushrooms.
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